Kenyan election authorities on Monday neared a constitutional deadline to announce the results of a close presidential race.
The August 9 election saw two candidates run almost neck-and-neck — Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
A tally published by the mass-circulation Daily Nation newspaper showed, based on results from more than 80% of constituencies, that Ruto was edging ahead.
The incumbent deputy president was leading with slightly more than 51% of the vote, while Odinga had 48%.
How do elections work in Kenya?
All eyes were on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Monday as it came under pressure to declare the results from 290 constituencies.
Under Kenya’s constitution, the IEBC has up to seven days to announce the results, meaning that they must be out by Tuesday at the latest.
For a candidate to win the presidential race, they need to receive 50%+1 of the votes.
Besides electing the president, Kenyans last week cast their votes for some 1,882 legislators and local officials.
The election saw a low turnout, with about 65% of the 22.1 million registered voters casting their ballots, according to the IEBC. The turnout in the 2017 election was nearly 80%.
Who are the front runners?
Ruto has served as deputy president since 2013. His boss, outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, endorsed Odniga in this presidential election.
Kenyatta’s support for Odinga, a longtime opposition figure, effectively made Ruto run as the challenger. His lead is seen as a symbol of discontent with Kenyatta’s legacy.
Ruto has pledged to implement a new bottom-up economic model, with a focus on Kenya’s informal workers’ sector.
The 55-year-old previously served as minister of home affairs, minister of agriculture, and minister of higher education.
Odinga, 77, is making his fifth bid for the top job, after losing in 1997, 2007, 2013, and 2017.
The veteran opposition leader has also pledged to reform the economy in the East African nation.
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
Long queues
Voters queue before casting their ballots during the general election by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in the Kibera slums of Nairobi.
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
The first step to vote
At the polling station, the voter’s identity is checked biometrically using an electronic system that scans their fingerprint. Here, an election official verifies a voter’s information on the Kenya Integrated Electoral Management System (KIEMS).
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
Exercising constitutional right
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and presidential contenders urged voters to come out and exercise their democratic and constitutional right to choose their next leaders.
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
Casting six ballots
A group of voters queues while waiting to vote in front of ballot boxes. Each voter receives six ballot papers, each with a different color, for the six different elections—president, governors, senators (upper and lower houses) women representatives, and ward representatives. Before they leave, indelible ink is applied to the voter’s finger to ensure they cannot vote again.
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
46,229 polling stations
Kenya has registered about 22.1 million voters out of around 50 million Kenyans. Nearly 40% of the voters are aged between 18 and 34, a drop since the last poll. A total of 46,229 polling stations will be open.
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
150,000 police officers deployed
About 150,000 officers have been deployed to ensure the safety of the polls, police chief Hilary Mutyambai said. Polling day has been declared a public holiday, schools have been ordered closed until Wednesday, and supermarkets have urged people to stock up.
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
Little participation from the youth
Electoral commission figures show that many young people have not registered to vote. Many say they are frustrated by widening inequality and an entrenched political system overseen by the same old elite.
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
A big event
Street performers entertained residents of Kibera slum as they awaited the arrival of presidential candidate Raila Odinga at the Kibera Primary School to cast his vote in Nairobi. More than 30% of registered voters have cast their ballot.
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
Kenyans also vote in Germany
Kenyan Ambassador to Germany, Thomas Boniface Amolo has also cast his vote in Kenyan Embassy in Berlin, together with other Kenyans in the disapora.
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Kenya’s 2022 election in pictures
International observation
The Kenyan election is under international obersvation: Former president of Tanzania Jakaya Kikwete, who is the head of East African Community (EAC) election observation mission, visited to Old Kibera polling station in Nairobi.
Author: Silja Fröhlich
fb/rt (AFP, Reuters)
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